Death of A Cheerleader (1994 TV Movie) User Reviews

Will society ever learn?

[MarieGabrielle · 7/10 · 6 May 2006]

No, this is not the most unique film about bullying, alienation and violence in high schools today. But this film is acceptable when you note the hypocrisy of an American community when confronted with its demons. The prosecution admittedly pursued the death penalty in a case where it was not even applicable, to feed the PR flames and incite headlines across America.

If the underlying theme had been more developed, there was a much more important story to be conveyed here. Other than the obvious, Angela Delvecchio (Kellie Martin) as the odd girl out, desperately attempting to be popular (Unfortunately, her parents and teachers never told her this would cease to matter in 2 years anyway), with Tori Spelling as the "popular girl" for that year. They may have picked a more sympathetic victim other than Spelling.

There is a brief role for Terry O'Quinn, as the pretentious principal; babbling about Santa Maria excellence and perfection. We see his dismissal of Delvecchio (Martin) and how important his approval and praise was for her.

Andy Romano and Valerie Harper portray Angela Delvecchio's parents, and paint a realistic picture of the community's hypocrisy- everyone in America wants to succeed, have a bigger house, drive a foreign car, and this all ties in with being a popular cheerleader in Delvecchio's mind, at least.

Kellie Martin is a sympathetic character, and does quite well projecting Delvecchio's despair. Maybe they should produce a follow-up movie, to see if things have changed in that particular school. Other films have more accurately dissected teen violence: "Bully", "Elephant" and "Bang, bang, you're dead", for example. But this film still deserves credit for addressing some of the less popular notions in America today: that something is amiss, values are distorted, and kids are being affected by this.

Very, very sad but a bit too one-sided

[ExpendableMan · 6/10 · 14 July 2005]

One of the better made for TV movies out there, 'A Friend to Die For' (or 'Death of a Cheerleader' as it's known in the UK) is an incredibly touching film, with a brilliant central performance from the young Kellie Martin as the teenage girl driven to murder by frustration and torment, but it suffers in that it offers little sympathy for her victim.

Based on a true story which makes it even more poignant, Angela Del Vecchio is a sweet, pretty and lovable girl who transfers from a Catholic school to a regular one and sets out to make friends with the popular crowd while striving to achieve as much as possible. The only problem is that another girl called Stacy not only keeps beating her at everything, but also mocks Angela and treats her like dirt, despite her best efforts to befriend her. And it is here that the film's main fault arises. Angela vents her frustration one night by stabbing Stacy to death, but at no point in the film does any sympathy arise for the murdered girl.

Angela on the other hand is an incredibly sympathetic character. She is tormented by her failures and perceived inadequacy in the first half and consumed by guilt and depression in the second. Throughout the entire running time, you just want to put your arms round the girl and give her a big hug and the scene where she finally confesses her crime to her mother is absolutely heartbreaking. Unfortunately, Stacy is considerably more one-dimensional and never presented as anything but a self-centred, arrogant ego-maniac, which jars painfully against the depth given to Angela's character. Given that she is based on a girl who was genuinely murdered in real-life, it seems pretty unsympathetic that while we feel plenty of empathy for her loved ones following the tragic event, the general feeling the movie generates is that the dumb idiot got what she deserved.

That said, the film still has much to recommend it. The central message of the extremes that children can reach if they take school too seriously is handled well, as is an issue raised in the second half about media sensationalism regarding the murder. Alongside this, Kellie Martin is simply phenomenal as Angela and her insecurities will have universal appeal to teenagers across the globe. It's just a shame that the treatment of the primary subject matter was not quite so black and white.

Important Message....

[bronzesrv · 6/10 · 21 November 2018]

This movie shows the extremes people will go through just to fit in! A good movie for young people to see! Movies like this hopefully will teach that bullying is wrong and unacceptable! And if you are being bullied talk to someone! Make them listen. Bullying needs to stop it's so much worse now days with cyberbullying.

True story

[Solnichka · 2 May 2003]

This movie is based on real events in Orinda, CA, during the summer and fall 1984. It's important to remember the reality of what lies behind the film: much like the gun-toting kids we see today, we have to remember kids are cruel to each other and we all act like it is normal and acceptable. It isn't.

I grew up with the victim's family, and this whole tragedy was hard on everyone in the community; however, the blame lies with all parties. Kids learn to be cruel to other kids from their parents. Good parents teach their kids to respect other kids and be kind to everyone. Orinda, CA, with a few exceptions, was not a place where good parents raised their kids. Many places with money are like this; many places without money are like this, too. Everyone focuses on the singular tragedy of something like this, and they fail to look at macrocosmic problem. Everyone wants to blame the lone nut instead of thinking how their own behavior impacted the situation. No one wants to imagine this could happen, but it does. And it happens because parents absentmindedly teach their kids it is alright to tease and mock those who are different or don't fit in.

Watch this with your child and use it as a tool for teaching them respect for everyone, not just for the "cool" kids.

Peer pressure or bulling

[DogFilmCritic · 7/10 · 23 March 2015]

I will not compare the film with the actual events, there is little information on the life of these young girls, I only manage to find information about the case not about how Kirsten Costas and Bernadette Proti lived their lives so I will focus on what the movie is trying to say as a standalone project.

Tori Spelling stars as Stacey Lockwood, the "It" girl of Santa Mira high school. Stacey has everything: looks, personality, wealthy parents, and a pack of snooty, sycophantic friends at school. Kellie Martin is Angela, who just transferred To Santa Mira from a nearby Catholic school and longs to be part of Stacey's clique. However, although she is certainly intelligent and studious, Angela is awkward in all her attempts to befriend Stacey, who enjoys making scathing remarks about Angela's thrift shop wardrobe and rusted-out Pinto. One night while hanging out with Stacey, Angie makes an embarrassing plea for friendship. Stacey cuts her down viciously with the ultimate high school threat: "I'm going to tell everyone at school that you're weird!"Angie whips out a knife in a panic and stabs Stacey to death.

The focus of the film is Angela sweet, gentle, caring but awkward like 98% of most teens , just looking to fit in, she wants to makes changes in her life , be the best she can be, raised in a strict catholic family Angela is grounded, her family is not wealthy but they manage to provide enough for the family, her issue is that she tries very hard to get accepted by the girls she wants so desperately to be a part of, one can see the obsession in her eyes as she dose everything she can to get what she wants and failed (cheerleader squad and writers club) hitting her self-esteem and making her try harder to get Stacey's respect and friendship.

Stacy is not a nice person by all means she is basically Angela's opposite, she could not see anything but her own shallowness, she was killed by the wrath of Angela she in turn was the spark that started it, if she had it coming that's anyone's own interpretation, if she did not deserve it is more like it, after her death the story focuses in Angela's guilt and how she lived her days knowing what she did until she turned herself in she turned herself in, Angela is not a bad person yes she did commit a crime but she wasn't satisfied with her actions you could tell she would to anything to turn back time, her remorse is too big to hide it anymore and she dose what she feels it right. The acting in the movie is superb Kellie Martin commits to herself in this character making it one of her best performances, Tori Spelling surprisingly dose a great performance in this movie( most of her acting in any movie is just awful) as the shallow socialite Stacy, Margaret Langrick, Marley Shelton, Kathryn Morris do a great job as supporting characters there also Terry O'Quinn who had an interesting character as the school principal but was a bit pointless the story, you can say this movie is made a a consequence of bulling or peer pressure, i see it as a warning to what a person will become with the wrong circumstances. This was made in 1994 but its massage is fresh in now a days, it's a good movie to show your teenage kid its better than most that are made today

Blaming the Victim

[Nadine-Erler · 4/10 · 9 April 2011]

Stacy Lockwood, a cheerleader and the most popular girl at Santa Mira High School, is dead. She dies in hospital after a knife attack by another girl who fled in a car.

That's how "Death of a Cheerleader" (also known as "A Friend to die for") begins. Then there is a flashback, and we see Stacy and her friends 10 months earlier at the beginning of a new academic year at Santa Mira High School. "It is excellence", the high school principal tells the new students, "second-best is simply not good enough." Stacy, the spoilt daughter of rich parents, is one of those who manage "to be the best". She is queen bee and openly nasty to anyone she does not like, especially to Monica, a highly unpopular girl who wears black and has her hair dyed.

Another girl who doesn't fit is Angela Delvecchio. Angela adores Stacy and wants to be her friend. When Stacy rejects her and Angela is afraid to be humiliated in front of the whole school by the nasty girl, the good girl turns bad...

It is not a bad film. It is an important message against peer group pressure, and the acting is simply great. Kellie Martin is marvellous as a sweet, insecure 15-year-old who commits murder in the heat of the moment and is overcome with guilt and remorse afterwards.

Yet I cannot like this film.

As many have pointed out, the film is far too one-sided. Stacy's part is flat and one-dimensional, she is portrayed as a bitch without any redeeming qualities. That cannot be realistic – she cannot have been such a beast, otherwise she would not have had so many friends! This film would be great if the crew only had bothered to portray BOTH SIDES. But they didn't, and that's my problem – the film is one-sided, biased, unfair and manipulative.

The film is based on an article in Rolling Stones Magazine, written by Randall Sullivan in 1985. Sullivan admits that he identified with the killer and does not express any sympathy for the victim.

The girls' classmates graduated from high school in 1986 and celebrated their reunion in 2006 – I found a homepage about the celebration. Kirsten Costas is listed under "In Memory", but otherwise the "cheerleader murder" is not mentioned on that page. But have a look at "Find a grave". People leave notes like "I miss you" and "To this day, I can't get into a pool without thinking of you". It seems like Kirsten's friend still miss her, she cannot have been such an evil witch.

Kirsten Costas was only 15. Maybe she was a stupid bitch, but even if she had been the worst brat on earth – she didn't deserve to die. And she was entitled to dislike Bernadette and did not have any obligation to be her friend! Whatever she was like, she paid with her life and that price was far too high.

I found many comments that made me see red – I am horrified to see how readily people justify murder. Bloggers who do not even bother to spell the victim's name correctly – it was K-I-R-S-T-E-N, not Kristen or Krista – write things like "The victim is as guilty as the killer" and similar rubbish, and one even blames the victim's (!) parents and says they should have taught their daughter to treat others with kindness and respect! How do we know what Kirsten's parents taught their daughter?

Bernadette had no right to kill Kirsten – whatever provocation she had does not excuse what she did.

Don't forget that we only know Bernadette's side of the story. Kirsten cannot tell hers, anyone can say what they like about her because she is not alive to defend herself. But Kirsten Costas' parents did not believe Bernadette's story and neither do I. Bernadette was casually dressed and could not tell authorities to what party she wanted to invite Kirsten. She lured Kirsten out under false pretences and had a knife – that sounds very much like planned murder.

In the film, the killer is called a "confused and desperate child". But the victim was a child as well – and I guess she was "confused and desperate", too, when she felt the knife penetrating her lungs and liver and when she was bleeding to death! I totally agree with the FBI man who (in the film) says "Feel sorry for the girl she killed!" Bernadette turned herself in – but she only did so after the FBI had figured out that she was the killer. Before her confession, she deceived everyone for six months – and allowed the blame to rest on others.

The worst scene in the film is the one showing the Delvecchio family having a celebration shortly before Christmas. They thoroughly enjoy themselves – with the exception of Angela, of course, who knows that the FBI figured out that she did it. Why doesn't the film show the Lockwoods' first Christmas without their daughter? I'm sure it was horrible – they must have missed her terribly... The film does not quote Berit Costas' words she said in court, so I will quote them: "My heart is empty. I ache. I'm half a person." Kirsten's parents were shattered with grief and they probably still are...

But the most moving comment I found was made by the Costas' neighbour's son who saw Kirsten die: "I was there that night. I saw Kirsten's blood squirting all over my father as she struggled to breathe. She knew she was dying and the horror on her face as she bled out before us was something none of us will ever forget."

Rest in peace, Kirsten. I'm on your side.

Too much for the time

[shattenjager777 · 7/10 · 26 August 2003]

"Death of a Cheerleader" is a nice mixture of some universal themes: the desire to fit in, things not always being as they seem, the way societal pressures can cause people to act irrationally, putting people down can cause you to get put down yourself, etc. Several of these themes are present in every movie about teenagers and are portrayed in the same fashion here, but the interesting idea was how the themes of societal pressures and the conscience (the two most prevalent themes) were portrayed: through how one high school girl is driven to murder another and how the community reacts first to the murder and then, six months later, to the arrest of the murderer. However, I think the problem is that these two themes were too big for the movie to cover in the depth they deserved for its length.

Obviously, the film had its good points: Kellie Martin is excellent as always, managing to handle the extreme confusion and emotion of Angela Delvecchio as she struggles with her conscience; the robotic lack of emotion of Angela trying not to get caught by the police questioning her; and the confused, irrational, pent-up rage of Angela at Stacy's threat to "tell everyone in the school that [Angela was] really weird." The other characters are generally stock, especially Stacy Lockwood, the popular girl who is a complete jerk, and Monica, the angry outcast. In fact, the only other character who really has any depth is Jamie, the friend of Angela and cronie of Stacy who has to deal with the loss of one friend, the knowledge that the girl being targeted for her death is not responsible, and the changes in the personality of one other friend and eventually has to become the voice of reason in an over-materialistic, unrealistically demanding, overly pious, angry, close-knit town. Thus, the only other performance really needing judging is that of Marley Shelton. Her performance was not up to the bar that Martin set, but it was very good and who in the world would expect two 20-year-olds of Martin's talent? (There are really only about a half dozen actors in the world of her talent, so that is totally unrealistic.)

Still, Martin, like in her film "All You Need" (a better film, including Martin herself giving one of the finest performances I have ever seen by anyone), seems to be getting cut off from what one would expect to make her character and performance deeper and more complete. Dan Bronson doesn't let the character's development flow subtly, but that's probably because he had to leave room for the post-murder societal mockery. That mockery suffers from the same lack of flow, again probably caused just by time restrictions. Had this been a feature film, not needing to take into account commercials and live by a hard rule of two hours, I think it could have been a great film (and it wouldn't need to be more than about a half hour longer than this, I should think). However, as it is, the film isn't given the space in time that it needs to breathe completely.

My only comment on the direction is that it is unnoticeable. It did not strike me as extraordinarily good or bad, though I think more close-ups of Kellie Martin are always in order . . .

And, I have to question some of the casting decisions. From looking at them, how in the world would Tori Spelling become more popular than the unbelievably beautiful Kellie Martin? Actually, how in the world would she become more popular than Kathryn Morris (who, despite the generic outsider/ugly duckling dress is quite attractive)? She has no talents that we see, she's not a nice person, she's not particularly intelligent, in fact, there is no reason why she is popular, and that distresses me. Why couldn't they at least have cast someone who wasn't about equally as attractive as Danny DeVito? I don't expect them to find someone better looking that Kellie Martin (no such creature exists), but since they're not giving the character anything else, her beauty should be the reason for her popularity, and yet they don't even give her that.

Overall, "Death of a Cheerleader" is an all-too-common "near miss." It nearly hit on as a great movie, but instead just nicks the corner of the target and ends up a slightly-better-than-average movie. It really came close, but couldn't quite make it.

Ridiculous casting

[nycruise-1 · 5/10 · 19 May 2019]

Every time watch this film, I collapse in laughter at the way Hollywood works. Tori Spelling as the "popular girl"??? She only got this part because of who her dad was back then. The part of the snobby, rich "popular girl" who everybody wants to kill would later be immortalized by Rachel Adams as "Regina" in "Mean Girls". But Tori is not Rachel Adams, she's not even Lacy Chabert (who played "Gretchen" in "Mean Girls"). If Tori had been more interested in exercising her acting chops, she would have played the Kellie Martin part to great effect: the homely girl who ends up a murderer because high school is filled with "mean girls". Yes the film is about bullying, yes it's a true story - but casting Tori Spelling as the person everyone envies turns this sincere endeavor into a piece of camp.

Well acted and an important message

[alliesmom97 · 8/10 · 16 June 2005]

"A Friend to Die For" was a very good TV movie. Based on a true story, it tells the story of a young girl who murders a more popular classmate.

Both the young leads did a great job in their roles. The story opens with the actual murder and then launches into the story surrounding it. So effective in her role as the bitchy Stacy is the always attractive Tori Spelling that you almost start to lose sympathy for her as a victim as the movie progresses. It's a big change for her from her role as the sweet, perky Doanna Martin on 90210. Kellie Martin, who is both beautiful and talented, does an equally awesome job as Angela; she is a little too shy, a little too poor and WAY too eager to fit in with the "right" crowd. As wrong as her actions were, you find yourself sympathizing with her. Although she handled her anger and hurt in a very wrong way, the emotions brought on by her treatment at the hands of Stacy (which was also wrong) were real and understandable. By the end of the movie I found myself feeling sad for everyone involved and thinking how different things could have and should have been. IT makes you wonder what went wrong with these two girls that Stacy had no respect for those different or less popular than herself and that Angela felt so badly about herself that she needed Stacy's friendship and approval to feel worthwhile.

A little research will provide you with some interesting information on the actual case. I found it very telling that a friend of the "real" Stacy (Kirsten Costas) dismissed any suggestions that Kristen and her crowd were mean-spirited bullies with the comment "She was only mean to people she didn't care about." How sad that young people today have the attitude that it is OK to mistreat people you don't like. While Kirsten didn't deserve to die and the hands of Bernadette Protti (the "real" Angela), her superior "I am better than you and therefore I shall make you an object of my amusement" attitude is far too prevalent today.

Good movie, but overly one-sided

[Motormouth33 · 7/10 · 29 September 2005]

This movie is based on the true story of Kirsten Costas and Bernadette Protti. It is a good movie in many ways, but, as many have said already, a little too one-sided. It's very disrespectful towards a murdered girl (Costas) who is not alive to defend herself. Yes, it is horrible how cruel some kids can be towards one another, particularly in high school. I understand that Angela/Bernadette had many problems and may have been looked down upon or made to feel like less of a person because her family was not wealthy. I was not popular in High School myself. But- this still does not justify the murder, or the trashing (with a movie) of a girl who by all accounts was loved by her friends and family.

the way it was structured...

[monicamarfo · 5/10 · 19 July 2005]

I hate the way this movie focused on the perpetrator rather than the victim, or victim's family after the murder.

Angela (Bernadette in this movie) was so distraught that she had killed Stacy (Kirtsen), yet the REAL killer, didn't give a damn,in fact she "blocked it out" as i recall her saying for SIX MONTHS(!!) whilst the one in the movie, thought about it constantly.

Plus the movie made kirsten shine in a bad light, she weren't that bad. I know some peeps who knew her.

(wanna see a killer get all rights, just watch this movie) It's unfair. I'm sure Kirsten turning in her grave.

Great Movie!

[mmindy4 · 10/10 · 29 March 2005]

Tori Spelling and Kelli Martin were great as the lead roles in this true story. They should have gotten awards for their performances. When I first heard about it on the t.v. guide i did not think very much of it, but then I thought why not give it a whirl. To my surprise I really liked it and I ended up having to tape it because I thought it was so good.

Stacy Lockwood, is a spoiled little brat who gets whatever she wants when she wants it. Meanwhile Angela Delvecchio, is a nice girl who is poor and kills in a moment of passion.

All in all I give this movie a 10 out of 10.

An undercurrent of fear

[Davalon-Davalon · 6/10 · 18 February 2019]

Although this movie has many, many laugh-out-loud moments, it had an undercurrent of fear that made it a challenge to get through without squirming.

The world of this movie felt very Stepford Wife-ish. Everyone in the entire film was white -- except for the Asian prosecutor, the black female journalist, and the black courtroom guard. In many ways, it is absolutely shocking to watch a movie like this in 2019. You can clearly understand how minority/diverse characters were constantly pushed aside so that pretty white people could take all the roles.

Of the teen actresses, three actually had some ability: Kellie Martin ("Angela"), Marley Shelton ("Jaime"), and Margaret Langrick ("Jill"). Christa Miller is also great as Angela's older sister, "Terri." All of them displayed sparks of talent and I enjoyed their performances.

Tori Spelling played the perfect "Stacy" -- but she did not display any emotion that could be called human. And the thing is, Tori has talent and she's better than she's given credit for. In this, she was obviously just doing what they told her, which was "You are the queen and everyone kowtows to you, no matter how right or wrong your actions are." So, in this regard, perhaps she did her job well.

The most questionable performance was from Valerie Harper, who played Angela's mother. No matter what she did, it all seemed over the top. I simply couldn't imagine why she was in this film unless she desperately needed money. For someone who could bring the laughs in "Rhoda" and did well in other shows and stage performances, this one, forgive me, stinks.

The script had lines that sounded dated ("drinky-poo"? Really? A 16-year-old girl in the 1980s would say that?) and I didn't really feel that anything was particularly natural.

But even though there are many faults with this film, there was still this sick feeling that there was a screw loose in Angela's head and that she had completely misinterpreted what it meant to be a human being. She became obsessed with Stacy to the point that if she wasn't going to be her friend, then Stacy had to go -- and, so, in a moment of rage, she stabs her to death.

Kellie Martin had this great blank face so that she could pretend that nothing happened. The fun of the movie came in trying to figure out how long she would last without breaking.

That said: when she told the investigators that she was "babysitting from 8:30 to 11pm" -- the first thing they would have done is follow up with that. But they seemed to sit on that for months before they followed through, which was incredibly stupid.

Again, despite its faults, and its Beverly Hills 90210 feeling, and all of its supposedly attractive, privileged young white people, this movie made a tragic comment about those who feel compelled to fit in and will do anything to make it happen.

RIDICULOUS!

[skarylarry-93400 · 5/10 · 8 April 2021]

Her attorney should have went for TEMPORARY INSANITY which she surely suffered from. Open and shut! This stupid movie tells you the whole movie before it starts! This isn't Columbo! Idiots! It's good to see THE STEPFATHER, AKA..EX-LAX!

Kellie Martin played the role masterfully.

[forceten45 · 25 August 2002]

Kellie Martin did a masterful job playing the role of an awkward teenage girl desperately yearning for acceptance from the "In" crowd in high school. Two scenes that totally sold me on how convincing the role of Angela was played was when Angela was being dropped off for the ski trip and, in front of the other kids, Angela's mother goes to clean Angela's face with a handkerchief. Embarrassed, Angela moves her mother's arm and storms off to collect her bag. As Angela lifts her bag, she looks back to her mother and gives her a classic "Why did you do that, mom?" look that I think only Kellie Martin can make convincing. Finally, after being initiated by the Larks, Angela and the other girls go off driving looking for guys to kiss. Angela gets snubbed as she attempts to kiss an elder gentlemen sitting in his car. Reflecting on her public humiliation, Angela has a heart to heart talk with her sister about her wanting to be someone else. Kellie Martin played the role masterfully!

Murder, like greed, is sometimes good

[helpless_dancer · 7/10 · 27 February 2004]

I had to cheer when this arrogant smart ass took a shiv to the guts. Too bad the girl didn't go on and whack the little bitch's butt licking pals while she was at it. This film seemed to be a slice of real high school life as popular kids skated around in their cliques looking down on the poor unfortunates. How typical of the average unthinking, gotta fit in at any cost people to blame a person for a crime just because they are different, a unforgivable sin to the average braindead teen. Good picture with well played out parts by all, especially Kellie Martin as the tormented nobody with aspirations of being popular. Little did she know that her life was better the way it was. Thumbs up.

"Absolutely PREMEDITATED" - anyone with ANY common sense

[CrystalMarine · 3/10 · 24 April 2022]

This movie is a fun watch if you put aside the fact that it was based off of real life people who lived out this travesty.

I absolutely HATE the main character (Angela)! She is super pathetic and annoying. Apparently she is God's gift to earth (hence the name ANGELla).

Are we really supposed to be so dumb as to believe she didn't plan this out ahead of time? She actually LEFT her home and used a pay phone to call Stacy's mother to make up some story about a dinner. When the mother asks for a name, she supposedly didn't hear her. Please! The movie writers want us to believe the little Angel simply didn't hear, and it was all perfectly innocent. The real life killer couldn't even ever prove there was a party she intended to take her. Not to mention, the crazy long knife in the car for cutting vegetables (as we ALL do in our cars on a daily basis). We're also supposed to believe she was driven to insanity because of what MIGHT happen, and she just snapped!? My reputation in high school was smeared by one girl who was insanely jealous of me, but I never once even thought of hurting her. It wasn't even a fleeting thought. Then she lies to the feds. And the only reason she even tells her mother is because she knows she's busted! The movie writers try to make it look like she was eaten up by the guilt, but she didn't even come clean until she felt she had no choice. She also took the cowardly way and wrote it in a note.

She deserves to be smeared in the papers and paraded in the court. She can still breathe and live out the rest of her life. Stacy (Kirsten) never will be able to do either of those things.

Also, what women in the Bible threw stones? Just curious.

Reasoned and engaging TV movie based on a true-life story

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 10 January 2013]

Okay, so this is a television movie. It's never going to reach the heights of greatness, purely for that reason. But still, DEATH OF A CHEERLEADER turns out to be an engaging, true-life story about how classroom bullying and peer group pressure led to tragedy for one high school girl back in the 1980s.

For the most part, DEATH OF A CHEERLEADER takes a focused and realistic approach to the material, presenting an unbiased account of a murder, the circumstances leading up to it, and the eventual unravelling of the crime. The story is subdued and non-exploitative throughout, with a mature script giving insight into the minds of the characters.

Kellie Martin, who plays the conflicted Angela Delvecchio, gives a remarkably complex performance in the leading role, a sweet girl who gets out of her depth when everything gets a bit much for her. Martin gives a sympathetic performance that really grounds the rest of the movie. I'm no fan of Tori Spelling, who plays against her as the bitchy cheerleader of the title, but thankfully she doesn't have too much screen time. Watch out for THE STEPFATHER's Terry O'Quinn in a small role as the oily headteacher!

Meh

[daniela11 · 2/10 · 17 November 2021]

Not a very good TV movie.

You can see the twist miles away, the movie makes it clear in the very beginning, after that you can tell it´s mostly a flashback scenes type of film.

It has decent acting overall, stellar Tori Spelling, but the lead lacks the conviction to portray the actions of her character.

LIke I said before: not a very good movie. Keeps you watching but in the end you'll forgot about this in less than an hour. Worth watching if you have nothing to do.

Wow!

[llihilloh · 10/10 · 30 December 2000]

"A Friend to Die For" is without a doubt one of the best TV movies I have EVER seen. Everything about it is good with the exception of Tori Spelling's performance. The best thing about this film is that it shows how far someone can go just to be accepted.

Not exactly the most unique idea ever thought of but it is played out beautifully. Dating back six years +, which wasn't a significant amount of time or anything, it still shows just how cruel and vicious school girls can be to one another. I don't think that I have seen a movie that tells it like it is ever since I saw "A Friend to Die For." After all, look at the high rate and percentage of teenage killings. It has died down a little but still very high none the less. This movie is proof that you can take a topic so simple and turn it into a riveting film that DOES teach a lesson.

The characters sketched out are wonderful. Here you have a typical teenage girl with a typical teenage problem. She's quiet and for the most part everything seems to be normal about her. Looks can be deceiving. Although she doesn't seem like the rowdy kind of person, she is literally dying to be accepted by the girls she watches and admires everyday at her own high school. A glimpse at her family and lifestyle shows us that she is just as ordinary as you and me. Jamie, her distant friend is simple. We understand that there is somebody just like Angela. As well as Jill. The stereotypical picture of the in-crowd is drawn very well. We know them. There's one of them in every school and in one way or another most people would like to be part of that crowd. Kellie Martin is extraordinary. (When isn't she?) Her portrayal of an evolving disturbed teen is shown as good as if it were from an actual young 'challenged' teen. Her performance lets the audience, or at least me, feel sorry for her. The second main character is none other than the awful actress herself, Tori Spelling. Stacy Lockwood, played by Spelling, is the super popular, stuck-up rich girl who has everything. (Except for the continuance of her life.) Lockwood's rude and crude personality drives her classmate to the limit. The different remarks made towards Stacy's somewhat of a rival, are terrible. Good, because it made me just want to haul off and smack that b**** across the face. Sorry for the vulgar language. Anyway, Martin, Marley Shelton, Valerie Harper, and everyone else does a terrific job. However, Spelling continues to disappoint me with her lack of talent and ability to capture the picture of a real actress. Bravo everyone!

The movie plays on and the viewers realize that Delvecchio will be put in her place for her actions. The ending vanishes kind of quick but quick enough to where it doesn't add unnecessary information about the characters and situation. By far, one of the best concepts and plots that could be brought to television. This film is a must see for anyone who may be suffering like Angela. Or maybe is the kind of person who acts and thinks like Stacy. Which ever character you may relate with, remember this: don't ever think that you're better than anyone else because you never know what your taste of medicine will be like.

Culture of affluence

[kwb1965 · 6/10 · 14 March 2015]

"Death of a Cheerleader" recounts the true story of the murder of Kirsten Costas by Bernadette Protti, two students at Miramonte High School in Orinda, California, in 1984. Names of persons and places involved are changed in the movie. Orinda (Santa Mira) is an affluent, conservative suburb. Expectations for success and achievement are inordinately high, as expressed in a student assembly by the high school principal. Stacy (Kirsten Costas), played by Tori Spelling, is a popular cheerleader and athlete and leader of the Larks social sorority. Angela (Bernadette Protti), played by Kellie Martin, comes from a family of more normal economic means, is smart and likable, but is obsessed with being liked by Stacy. Angela doesn't fit in easily with the hyper-inflated expectations of the affluent environment around her, whereas Stacy thrives in it. Angela wants to be like Stacy even though Stacy tends to be cruel toward those she sees as below her social status. Angela is accepted into the Larks sorority but is still rejected by Stacy. When Angela dupes Stacy into going with her to a party one night, she confesses her semi-worship of Stacy, who calls her "pathetic" and "weird". Angela flips out and stabs Stacy to death. It takes the FBI six months to catch Angela, and then there is a highly publicized trial. What the viewer must decide is if this murder is the act of one sick girl or is caused by the distorted values of an affluent community. After all, affluence and its values are the exception, not the norm.

Flat and one-sided

[stevenastark · 2/10 · 7 January 2021]

A movie of cardboard cut outs. The main character was portrayed very sympathetically, her victim the opposite. Could have been an interesting character study, showing the layers of their personalities. The cheerleader most likely had her nice side, maybe was a bit insecure herself. The killer was probably not as nice as shown.

There was more to be learned from this event. Sadly the filmmakers took a side, obvious from their depiction of how the knife came to be in the car, something the investigators found doubtful as would most people.

How many of you take an 18inch knife in the car to slice vegetables? And who the hell slices vegetables in the car?

Good stuff

[scree · 9/10 · 16 March 2002]

Anything Kellie Martin is in is simply gold, and this tv movie is no exception in her nice collection. She is such a fabulous young 1990's actress who seems to remind me of Jodie Foster -- great acting talent and screen presence, but she just doesn't act enough anymore! And believe it or not, Tori Spelling is also a great little actress, and not just famous daddy's girl and/or another tv movie queen. Anyway, this is a quality movie and a perfect example of great acting by the best young actresses the 90's have generated. (oh yeh, it can also be classified as "Lifetime Channel Friendly" hehe)

Interesting Story

[saramgia · 6/10 · 20 February 2018]

It's worth watching but would benefit from better character development and explanation of what the killer was thinking.

Been There, but Didn't Done That

[bemyfriend-40184 · 4/10 · 20 October 2021]

I've been there, where Angela was. But I never wanted to kill any of my school antagonists. Sure, I resented their antagonism. I never understood the need for it; or what they hoped to accomplish. I meet the same kind of people now. I conclude they aren't worth knowing, nor caring about. As a film, it was effective enough. I liked how outside the courtroom, there was an Angela clone, arguing with a Stacy clone. It's almost like a race thing; even though they're the same race. They're different types of people. They'll always hate each other, I guess. I suppose at the end of the day, if we've succeeded in not killing each other, then we've succeeded.